Beatriz Carpallo-Porcar, Sandra Calvo, Sara Pérez-Palomares, Laura Blázquez-Pérez, Natalia Brandín-de la Cruz, Carolina Jiménez-Sánchez
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Introduction
Home‑based rehabilitation has emerged as a practical solution for post‑acute phase COVID‑19 recovery, but patient perspectives on the different modalities remain underexplored.
Objective
To explore participants' perceptions and experiences after a 12‑week multimodal rehabilitation program delivered via asynchronous telerehabilitation versus a booklet after discharge and to identify the preferred format.
Methods
Qualitative descriptive study with two face‑to-face focus groups of post-discharge COVID-19 patients (n = 12; age range 41–75 years; 50% female; with fatigue > 4 on the Fatigue Severity Scale) that included participants from each intervention arm of a randomised pilot study. Semi‑structured interviews to determine patients' perceptions and experiences were recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded independently by two researchers using inductive thematic analysis.
Results
Three overarching themes emerged from the analysis: (1) Facilitators for engagement and adherence: Innovative digital tools and personalised guidance foster active participation by providing flexible access and systematic progress monitoring; (2) Barriers to sustained participation: Technological issues, physical limitations and fluctuating motivation serve as critical impediments, underscoring the potential benefits of hybrid intervention models; and (3) Therapeutic alliance as support: A robust, individualised therapeutic relationship enhances patient confidence and self-management, ultimately contributing to sustained empowerment and recovery.
Conclusions
A multimodal home-based rehabilitation program with monitoring and personalisation by the physiotherapist is rated positively by post-acute COVID-19 patients, with asynchronous telerehabilitation emerging as the preferred method. Future research should investigate long‑term adherence, clinical efficacy and scalability.
Clinical Trial Registration
Clinialtrials.gov #NCT04794036.
Patient or Public Contribution
Post-acute COVID-19 patients contributed to the study by actively participating in its development, specifically through describing their experiences as part of a multimodal rehabilitation program. There was no additional participation or contribution from the public to the research.
期刊介绍:
Health Expectations promotes critical thinking and informed debate about all aspects of patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) in health and social care, health policy and health services research including:
• Person-centred care and quality improvement
• Patients'' participation in decisions about disease prevention and management
• Public perceptions of health services
• Citizen involvement in health care policy making and priority-setting
• Methods for monitoring and evaluating participation
• Empowerment and consumerism
• Patients'' role in safety and quality
• Patient and public role in health services research
• Co-production (researchers working with patients and the public) of research, health care and policy
Health Expectations is a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal publishing original research, review articles and critical commentaries. It includes papers which clarify concepts, develop theories, and critically analyse and evaluate specific policies and practices. The Journal provides an inter-disciplinary and international forum in which researchers (including PPIE researchers) from a range of backgrounds and expertise can present their work to other researchers, policy-makers, health care professionals, managers, patients and consumer advocates.